There is a continuing need for an efficient means to securely hold documents such as loose papers and the like in easily removable arrangement at a convenient position for viewing while working at a computer monitor. To that end, various devices have been produced which function to hold such documents, however most are not easily adjustable to the convenience of the user and there appears to be a lack of devices which have further functions including securing documents and/or the monitor screen from view and shielding the monitor from dust.
One copy holding device of the prior art is a free standing copyholder which holds documents on a flat, generally vertically oriented surface which is configured to allow positioning of the copyholder separate from and adjacent to the monitor. Such holder, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,650 has significant disadvantages to the user in that it takes up valuable desk top surface in the vicinity of the computer monitor, generally is difficult to position close enough to the monitor to provide convenient viewing and when not in use becomes an undesirable addition to the desk top clutter which in itself is a problem in the secretaries daily work routine.
Another type of copy holding device commonly used to hold documents in the age of computerized business records generally comprises an arm which is typically removably attached at one end to the computer monitor and comprises a clip which is arranged along the arm in such manner as to grip a document so that the document vertically dangles therefrom. For a single page document such device can be adequate. The failure to provide a surface backing the document generally precludes convenient notations, measurements or the like from being made upon the dangling document during the secretarial work effort and certainly such devices were not configured for securing a document from view or shielding the monitor from dust. When pressed into service to hold multi-page documents, changing viewing sheets of document becomes difficult if not impossible and the force being exerted at the points of attachment of the arm to the computer can create a problem in unexpected and disastrous detachment of the copyholder from the monitor.
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel holder for securing loose documents and the like, proximate a computer monitor for convenient viewing of the documents by the user.
Another object of the invention is to provide a novel holder that has the further capability of functioning as a dust shield for the computer screen.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a copy holder that can be used to shield the subject matter being viewed and/or on the monitor screen from unauthorized view.
A still further object is to provide a copyholder that can securely hold multi-page documents in a viewing position for the user.
A further object is to provide a holder which comprises means for shielding openings contained in a computer monitor from dust.
A still further object is to provide a holder which comprises means for shielding a keyboard, arranged adjacent a computer monitor, from dust.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention.